Patient supports, such as hospital beds, stretchers, operating room tables, and the like, are commonly used in a variety of care environments to facilitate patient care and transport.
User modules are often provided to enable a user to perform a variety of automated functions relating to a patient support. Examples of such automated functions include raising or lowering one or more sections of the patient support, adjusting the configuration of a bed frame or mattress or portion thereof, and activating or deactivating selected therapies, alarms, communications, and other automated features of the patient support. As such, user modules may be operably coupled to a bed or mattress controller or control system, a remote computer, an air supply or other like service supply.
Many conventional user modules are either fixed in a siderail of the patient support, or are provided as pendants that may be stored in the siderail and removed from the siderail for use. However, many conventional patient support user modules are cumbersome for a caregiver, patient, or technician to use due to poor ergonomic positioning or design.
Particularly with graphic displays, such as touchscreen displays, poor ergonomic positioning or design can result in an undesirable angle between the user and the user module, which makes the controls on the user interface difficult to see and operate.
Poor ergonomic design or positioning of the user module can also make the user module itself difficult or cumbersome to use. For example, two hands may be required, with one hand being used to steady the module while the other hand operates the user interface.
In addition, the method of attachment of the user module to the patient support (i.e., by linkages, arms, wires, cords and the like) and location of such attachments may require the user to bend down, reach across the body, or assume some other uncomfortable position in order to access and use the module.